Relating to the issuance of a diploma to a student graduating from a public institution of higher education that has undergone a merger, acquisition, or name change.
ModeratePlan for compliance
Low Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
Public Institutions of Higher Education (Self-executing duty) • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (General oversight)
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediately upon enactment).
Compliance Deadline: The mandate applies to all diplomas issued for the 2025-2026 academic year. Registrar protocols must be updated prior to the Fall 2025 graduation cycle.
Agency Rulemaking: The statute is self-executing and does not explicitly mandate Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rulemaking. However, institutions should monitor THECB for guidance regarding the specific formatting of legacy documents to ensure uniformity across the state.
Immediate Action Plan
1.Identify Eligibility: Immediately query your Student Information System to identify all currently enrolled students who matriculated prior to your institution's most recent name change or merger.
2.Secure Legacy Assets: Locate and secure the official design files (seals, fonts, layouts) of the former institution. Ensure they are compatible with current printing technology.
3.Update Vendor SOW: Issue a change order to your diploma vendor to enable a "dual-fulfillment" workflow for the flagged student cohort.
4.Revise Graduation Applications: Update student-facing graduation applications to notify eligible students they will receive both documents automatically.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Printing & Fulfillment Vendors: You must immediately renegotiate contracts with third-party vendors (e.g., Jostens, Parchment).
Asset Retention: Contracts must require vendors to maintain "ready-to-print" templates of retired institutional names and seals for six years post-change.
Volume & Pricing: You will experience a 100% volume increase for the specific cohort of eligible students. Ensure your contract does not automatically bill the student for the second unit, as this is illegal.
Hiring/Training
Registrar Staff: Staff must be trained on the specific eligibility window: students are only entitled to the dual diploma if they graduate within six years of the name change or merger.
IT/Systems: SIS administrators must patch degree audit systems to apply "If/Then" logic based on the student's initial enrollment date versus the institutional name change date.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Audit Trails: You must maintain proof of issuance for *both* documents. Failure to issue the legacy diploma is a violation of the Education Code and creates liability for administrative grievances.
Digital Asset Management: You must archive and maintain high-resolution vector files of retired seals, logos, and formatting styles. These cannot be permanently deprecated while the six-year statutory window is open.
Fees & Costs
Cost Absorption: Section 51.995(d) strictly prohibits charging the student for the additional diploma. The institution must absorb the cost of printing, handling, and shipping the second document.
Budget Impact: While the Legislative Budget Board anticipates low fiscal impact, individual Registrar budgets will see a line-item increase for printing services.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
The "Signature" Dilemma: The law requires the "same style, design, or format" of the original institution but is silent on signatories.
*Risk:* Using the signature of a former President on a document issued today could be construed as misrepresentation or forgery.
*Guidance:* Unless THECB rules otherwise, the prudent legal stance is to utilize the current administration’s signatures on the legacy design/paper stock. Do not attempt to replicate the signatures of former officers.
Complex Mergers: In scenarios where multiple institutions merge to form a new entity, you must be prepared to issue legacy diplomas for *all* antecedent institutions depending on where the specific student originated.
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When selecting a college or university, many students consider numerous variables to ensure the best choice for their intended career path such as whether an institution is a health-related institution or a general academic institution, or the student's potential to diversify their educational experiences at the institution. However, as the bill author has informed the committee, institutions of higher education that merge, are acquired, or undergo name changes create uncertainty for students regarding the name of the institution that will appear on their diploma, which can consequently result in students receiving diplomas from an institution they have never attended or at which they have never taken classes or had any laboratory experience, nor even visited the campus. Thus, these students may have no affiliation or connection to the institution reflected on their diploma. C.S.H.B. 5180 seeks to standardize the process for diploma designation in the event of a merger, acquisition, or name change by requiring a public institution of higher education to provide students two diplomas on the student's graduation, including one with the original institution name and one with the new name.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 5180 amends the Education Code to require a public institution of higher education that merges with or is acquired by another postsecondary educational institution or changes the institution's name during the period of a student's enrollment at the institution to provide to the student on the student's graduation from the institution two diplomas, as follows:
·one diploma in the same style, design, or format, including symbols or other insignia, designating the original name of the institution on the date the student initially enrolled; and
·one diploma designating the name of the institution after the merger, acquisition, or name change.
The bill limits the students who are eligible to receive two diplomas in this manner to those who graduate from the institution of higher education within six years of the merger, acquisition, or name change. The bill prohibits the institution from charging a student an additional fee to receive a diploma under the bill's provisions.
C.S.H.B. 5180 applies beginning with a diploma provided by a public institution of higher education to a student for the 2025-2026 academic year.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 5180 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
Whereas the introduced required a public institution of higher education that merges or changes names to offer each student enrolled at the time of the name change the option to receive a diploma with the new institution name or the former institution name, the substitute requires such an institution that merges with or is acquired by another postsecondary educational institution or changes the institution's name during the period of a student's enrollment at the institution to provide to the student on the student's graduation from the institution two diplomas. Additionally, the substitute includes provisions absent from the introduced providing for the following:
·the required contents of each diploma;
·student eligibility to receive the two diplomas; and
·a prohibition against the institution charging an additional fee to receive such a diploma.
Whereas the introduced made the bill's provisions applicable beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the substitute makes the bill's provisions applicable beginning with a diploma provided by a public institution of higher education to a student for that academic year. The substitute changes the bill's effective date to provide for its possible immediate effect, contingent on receiving the requisite constitutional vote, whereas the introduced provided only for the bill to take effect September 1, 2025, with no possibility for immediate effect.
Honorable Terry M. Wilson, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB5180 by Wilson (Relating to the diploma designation of an institution of higher education.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 717 Texas Southern University, 719 Texas State Technical College System Administration, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration, 966 Howard College, 978 San Jacinto College
LBB Staff:
JMc, FV, LBO, GO
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Texas public institutions of higher education that have undergone a merger, acquisition, or name change within the last six years must now issue two distinct diplomas to qualifying graduates. For the 2025-2026 academic year and beyond, you are statutorily required to provide eligible students with both a current diploma and a "legacy" diploma reflecting the institution's identity at the time of their enrollment, without charging the student an additional fee. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediately upon enactment).
Q
Who authored HB5180?
HB5180 was authored by Texas Representative Terry Wilson during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB5180 signed into law?
HB5180 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB5180?
HB5180 is enforced by Public Institutions of Higher Education (Self-executing duty) and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (General oversight).
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB5180?
The compliance urgency for HB5180 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB5180?
The cost impact of HB5180 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB5180 address?
HB5180 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--general and education--higher--institutions & programs.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
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